Welcome to the new theme. Pitt isn’t scoring enough.
The offense that once struck fear into the opposition has slowed to a crawl. The Panthers averaged 78.5 points per game through the first seven Big East Conference games. In the past seven games against conference competition, they have averaged 63 per game.
In the first seven games, the Panthers scored 72 points or more in every game and had 80 or more three times. In the past seven the highest total is 71 (twice) and they have been held below 60 three times, including twice in the past three games.
“We just haven’t been hitting shots,” sophomore guard Travon Woodall said. “It’s been a stretch where we’re playing a lot of games. We’ll get back to what we’re used to. But right now, we’re not hitting shots. Coach has been emphasizing taking enough shots and getting our shots up. We have to get back to that.”
There are some reasons for the big drop in scoring, most notably the absence of leading scorer Ashton Gibbs for three of those games. The Panthers also happened to play the Big East’s worst defending teams early on in the conference schedule.
Five of the first seven opponents are currently ranked 11th or higher in the league in scoring defense. Of the past seven opponents, five are among the top seven in the conference in scoring defense.
Yeah, go figure, Pitt’s offensive numbers dip when they play better defenses. Add in three missed games for Ashton Gibbs, which allowed a lot more collapsing by defenses without the real threat of 3-point baskets.
Don’t get me wrong, I am bothered by the fact that Brown and Woodall have really, really struggled lately with their 3-point shooting. But the offense has been fairly efficient.
Another issue. Dante Taylor is not healthy.
Backup center Dante Taylor did not practice Tuesday. Taylor has been playing through tendinitis and a bone bruise in his left knee. His status for the West Virginia game Thursday night is up in the air. “We’re really trying to rest him,” Dixon said. “He’s been in some pain for a while. He didn’t feel good in the last game. It obviously has hampered him. We’ll just see how he responds.”
Taylor missed the Cinci game because of the tendinitis over two weeks ago. He’s played since then, but it has been different. He’s been slower. Especially on the defense, where his fouls have jumped noticeably. He’s been whisted for 13 in the past 4 games. The 6 games prior to missing the Cinci game, Taylor only committed 14 fouls
The emphasis is now on the need for Pitt to have balance in the scoring. That and hitting the open looks that haven’t been going.
“That’s what we do, balanced scoring,” coach Jamie Dixon said. “I thought we took good shots (at St. John’s) for the most part. If you are worried about your offense, the main thing is shot selection.”
Gibbs didn’t play in Pitt’s 71-66 victory at West Virginia on Feb. 7. Four players scored in double figures, as Dixon stressed for the team to play its game and not try to do too much to replace Gibbs. With Gibbs on the bench, Pitt had 10 double-digit scorers in three games.
“We’ve just got to get back to hitting the open shot,” guard Travon Woodall said. “That will help our balanced scoring and get us back to what we’re used to.”
Brown hasn’t scored more than 11 points in the past six games, shooting 32 percent from the field. He is one of the top free-throw shooters in the Big East but has only been to the line five times in the past three games. Wanamaker has one 3-pointer — on seven attempts — in the past six games.
Brown said he isn’t concerned about his mini-slump.
“I just really have to go out there and play basketball,” he said. “I think that goes for everybody that has some slow games or down games.”
Brown also agrees that Hardy was out of bounds on the game-winning shot.
“Definitely,” Brown said.
Regardless, Brown said he did everything he could do in defending Hardy, but the Bronx native made a circus basket.
“I felt that I cut him off to the baseline,” Brown said. “It was a tough shot. He got around me and made a shot from behind the backboard. Other than (maybe a little help defense) I feel like we played it to our best. Maybe we could have forced him to take a tougher shot, like a jump shot.”
Brown admitted the frequent whistles — Pitt was called for a season-high 27 personal fouls — affected him.
“If I would have tried one more slide, it would have been a hip check and he would have been going to the line for two (free throws),” Brown said. “I tried my best to cut him off, and I felt he didn’t have any more space.”
He didn’t. /still bitter
Coach Dixon in a radio interview danced right around that issue. Stressing instead that he could only focus on the things his team does.
What does this team need to improve on here at the end of the season?
“I think we’re defending better and that’s been a good thing. We’ve really been trying to improve in that area. Just perimeter defense, we’ve got to continue to guard ball screens really well, which I think we have. We’ve done a real good job. We had a stretch where we weren’t good enough. We’re doing that. Taking care of the ball I think that’s another thing we’re really good at. All these things I’m telling you we’re at the top of the country in doing, but we just need to have them there every single good, but over the long run we’ve been as good as our record indicates, but in one game if you have a slight drop in any of those things it could really come out. Like I said the rebounding thing was we lead the country in yet we didn’t get it done against St.John’s on Saturday.”
He’s not going to call anyone out. He’s not going to talk of changing things. He’s just going to keep stressing that Pitt needs to do all the things they have been doing.
It’s that consistency and stressing the need to continually get better that has Pitt constantly winning. Something that is stressed in this John Harris column — though he takes a little revisionism by saying that the 2008-09 team, “should have won the national championship.” He does remember how good that UNC team was doesn’t he?
gil is the absolute key this march/april. if he’s aggressive on offense, taking it to the rim, hitting 2-3 threes and scoring 15-20 per game, and everyone else just plays their game, fulfills their role, pitt can definitely win it all.
These two guys were NBA ready and were discriminated against soley cause they played at Pitt. And their play and current status as starters proves it. It really is a crock, that these guys were cheated out of bigger contracts since NBA careers, especially Pitt players aren’t very long. Yes the conspiracy against Pitt even goes to not drafting proven All-American players in the 1rst round. Blair & Young were 1rst team All-Americans, had they gone to UNC, UConn, Cuse, Nova or any Big 10 school that they took to the Elite 8, there is NO QUESTION they would have been 1rst rounders with Blair a lottery pick.
That UNC team would have beaten us by 15, just like they did to Michigan State in the title game. That team was stacked. No offense to Levance Fields, but Ty Lawson was arguably the fastest player, end to end, in the last decade of college basketball. NOBODY pushed the ball faster, or more effectively then he did. Blair may have matched up on Hansbrough, but to think that Dixon or Fields could have matched up with either guard for UNC, in crazy. Tey also had Deon Thompson, Marcus Ginyard, Danny Green, Bobby Frasor…
Pitt had an elite team that year, but UNC was in a class by itself.
Again, I’m a Pitt fan, but I’m just being honest here…
Tha being said, if there was a year, other than this year, for Pitt to take advantage, it would have been that year. Look at the past decade, and the teams that won national championships. Without doing much research, I would say that most, if not all, had at least 3 future NBA caliber pro’s (with the exception of Duke… who rode an unbelievably easy schedule to the title last year). Pitt had at least 2 (could be more depending on Gibbs, Brown, etc.) that year, and if they got a couple breaks, could have won it all. But they didn’t…
So on to this year!!! I know we Pitt fans struggle with Gil Brown’s inconsistancy, but he’s a streaky guy. Always has been, always will be. He’s been down for 6 games or so now, but all that means is a hot streak coming up. I have an odd faith in the kid, that he is going to come up biggest when we need him most.
HTP
Strangely enough, JJ Moore might be the best pro prospect on the current team.
#2 Pick – Hasheem Thabeet(Uconn) – 1.2 PPG
Rarely plays or for a few minutes a game plays on Memphis with Sam Young, Young starts.
#6 Jonny Flynn(Syracuse) – 5.8 ppg
minutes ppg decreasing
#5 Ricky Rubio – Never signed with team
#8 Jordan Hill – 6.1 ppg (on 2nd team already)
#11 Terrence Williams (Louisville) – 5,8ppg
(on 2nd team already, not in rotation)
#12 Gerald Henderson (duke) – 6.9 PPG
#14 Earl Clark (L-ville) – 4.4 ppg (2nd team already) not in rotation
#15 Austin Daye – 7.3 ppg
#16 James Johnson – 3.2 ppg (2nd NBA team already
#19 Jeff Teague – 3.9 ppg
#20 Eric Maynor – 4.7 ppg
#22 Victor Claver (?) Never signed
#24 Byron Mullin (ohio state) – 1.2 ppg (hard to believe this stiff who wasn’t even good in college was chosen over 1rst team All-American Dejuan Blair) forgot he went to ohio state
#27 Demarre Carrol – 1.4 ppg also plays on Memphis with Sam Young, Carrol never gets off the pines. When his contract expires he’s a goner.
#28 Wayne Ellington (North Carolina) – 6.7 ppg
Basically half (50%) of the first round are busts now or will be busts. You tell me what went on here with DeJuan Blair & Sam Young, who again are NBA starters and are making major contributions for their respective teams. And both were projected as 1rst Round picks with Blair projected as a lottery pick, which he should have been. And I don’t want to hear about Blair’s supposed knee problem, all these guys have their medical problems to an extent. Just how far does this anti-Pitt bias go.
i) everyone sees Pitt as a ‘team’ with no ‘stars’, which it is to an extent, so these guys don’t stand out that way.
ii) Pitt get’s lots of exposure. Oddly enough, that can hurt perception because at one point you stop looking at potential and become preoccupied with the flaws/risks you see in a potential draft pick. Sam and DeJuan both had risks. Many, many a NBA draft pick is based on potential and the less the owners know the more willing they are to take the risk. This is sort of delusional, but does happen — i mean how many busts are there out of the lottery each year?!
iii) historically, Pitt guys haven’t done much in the NBA so the expectations were low-ish. That they’d both be solid, but not really improve a team.
Blair and Young are making it easier for the NBA to consider Pitt guys. Its clearer that we don’t just have a good “team” but well coached players who are really good. Blair/Young raise expectations too, at least a little.
Two years ago, guys like Brad and Gil wouldn’t get a whiff by NBA scouts because, as impressive as they are in college, they don’t have a super-high potential ceiling and are just cogs in a wheel. Now, whether deserved or not, both will at least get looked at (though still very probably not drafted).
And guys like Sam Young, proven scorers who are older college players, tend not to get drafted as high because scouts and GMs think they have less upside. Mateen Cleaves was a great college player but go no love in the NBA.
And UNC in 2009 was a really good team. But they weren’t unbeatable and had some flaws. Pitt could have gave them a run for the money for sure.
So question, if Pitt loses two more games in the regular season, but still wins the Big East regular season outright, does Pitt deserve a 1-seed just by winning regular season Big East? I think so. The Big East might get 11 teams in the tournament. I’d like to think winning the regular season in the Big East should be enough.
Demarre Carrol was a 4 year player as well. He’s a total bust. Aaron Gray had much better stats than the stiff from Ohio State(Byron Mullin) drafted in the first round in 2009, was also 7 feet tall and yet didn’t get drafted till the 2nd round. Currently this stiff is in the NBA D-League. And I didn’t say conspiracy I said anti-Pitt bias. I think the list I posted above on the jokes that were drafted in the 1rst round, speaks for itself. And when you’ve watched Pitt basketball as long as I have maybe you’ll start to feel different. There are biases out there and these networks and the NBA do have their favorite teams, such as the Duke’s of the world.
Do you want to deny that?
I will acknowledge that if a scout has two players rated equally, and one is from Pitt and the other from Duke, they’ll take the Dookie. But then again, so would I.
When Brandon Roy came out a few years ago, alot of teams passed on him because of knee history. Those teams were mocked as he became an All-Star, but now those concerns seem relevant. I certainly don’t wish the same for Blair….just saying it takes more than two years to evaluate these things.
prospects who were both coincidentally ‘missed’ by 30 NBA teams once, and another 6 NBA teams twice.
Anyway, on to Pitt’s lack of offense. Pitt’s defense is not causing many turnovers, you can’t get easy transition baskets or fast breaks unless you cause turnovers. Better teams don’t turn the ball over much unless you play a more aggressive defense. This is why Pitt’s teams tend to ‘fade’ late in the season and in the tourney. They are playing better teams who don’t turn the ball over and Pitt’s defense is to passive, meaning they don’t create enough turnovers. And then throw in the fact they hardly change out of man to man and you get the idea. Hopefully. (yes I know they played a little zone against St. John’s, whoopee)
A player like Wannamaker could be an asset in the right pro system — selfless, hard worker, good (if not great) athleticism, advanced passer with good court vision. The knock will be that he’s a good college player but not quick or fast enough for the next level. He probably wouldn’t star for anybody, but why should that deprive him of the opportunity to prove himself ready for the next level? Some scouts would rather draft 16 yr old African kids with 20 minutes of experience playing basketball if they think the kid will project.
In any event wouldn’t it have been nice, the way last year’s Pitt team performed with Gibb’s outside shooting, to have had DeJuan Blair inside for just one more year.
Pitt’s D has actually improved during the course of the year. At one point on kenpom Pitt was 37 in D, now Pitt is 22.
I think their offense is in a funk because Wannamaker is off… he must be hurt. Having Taylor hurt doesn’t help. Dixon should rest him the next week or so… they will need him in the tournament.
include a reference to Pittsburgh’s Steel Mill past, and the hard working steel (unionized) workers.
Blue Collar, tough, etc., etc., You know the routine by now hopefully.
The NBA owners are not pro-union by any means and with Pittsburgh being the foundation in unions with the Homestead Steel Workers Riots and the infamous Pinkerton guards, who knows. These people (the elite) have long memories of those that f*cked them. Food for thought.
1. First of all, Blair is doing well for the Spurs because he’s playing on a well-coached team and is playing a circumscribed role alongside three of the Top 15 basketball players in the world. If he played for a lousy team and was asked to do much more, he’d be having an uninspired start to his career. It’s just like real estate folks……location, location, location.
2. It’s been said before, but if I were an NBA GM, I wouldn’t risk much on those knees. Just watching him play makes me wince sometimes wondering how many 80+ campaigns they’re good for.
3. On matching up with NC……..I think Dixon could have slowed Lawson a bit, but Lawson would have put him in foul trouble by early 2nd half. But that’s not the problem — the problem is Fields trying to keep Ellington from filling it up.
4. The fact that Blair is a more capable pro has nothing to do with how he and Hansborough would have fared against each other in a college game. Different sport entirely. NCAA refs, fairly or unfairly, would have put Hansborough on the line for the entire game and Blair would have played about 20 mins.
But I absolutely agree that Pitt is getting screwed because of the Homestead riots. That seems obvious.
